May offers Corbyn further Brexit talks in attempt to secure deal

May offers Corbyn further Brexit talks in attempt to secure deal

Theresa May has offered further talks with Labour in an attempt to secure cross-party support for a Brexit deal.

The Prime Minister questioned Mr Corbyn’s key call for the UK to remain in a customs union with Brussels but offered concessions in other areas and said she wanted talks between Labour and Tory teams “as soon as possible”.

Her offer came as Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay prepared for talks with European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier as the Government stepped up efforts to secure changes to the Irish backstop measure in the Withdrawal Agreement.

In her letter to Mr Corbyn, responding to the conditions for a Brexit deal set out by the Labour leader, the Prime Minister said she wanted the Tory and Labour teams to consider “alternative arrangements” to the Irish backstop.

In response to his demand for a customs union, Mrs May insisted her deal met many of the conditions he had set.

She said the existing Political Declaration – the part of the Brexit deal setting out the goals for the future UK-EU relationship – “explicitly provides for the benefits of a customs union – no tariffs, fees, charges or quantitative restrictions across all sectors and no checks on rules of origin”.

But she said it also recognises the development of the UK’s independent trade policy.

She told Sky News: “I absolutely do not think that should be our policy.”

(PA Graphics)

Mr Corbyn called for UK standards to keep pace with evolving standards across Europe.

Mrs May rejected automatically following EU rules on workers’ rights and environmental protection but “in the interest of building support across the House” she said the Government is prepared to commit to asking Parliament if it wishes to follow suit if standards change.

In her response to the Labour leader’s letter setting out his conditions to support a Brexit deal, Mrs May said: “It is good to see that we agree that the UK should leave the European Union with a deal and that the urgent task at hand is to find a deal that honours our commitments to the people of Northern Ireland, can command support in Parliament and can be negotiated with the EU – not to seek an election or second referendum.”

Mr Corbyn has repeatedly said there should be an election if Mrs May cannot get a deal through Parliament and he has faced concerted pressure from some in his party to push for a second public vote.

I am looking forward to meeting @SteveBarclay in Brussels on Mon evening. I will listen to how the UK sees the way through. The EU will not reopen the Withdrawal Agreement. But I will reaffirm our openness to rework the Political Declaration in full respect of #EUCO guidelines.

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